Welcome to the B-Side of the business where you get an inside peek of the backstage area of JDP.

I’m Jasemine, in case you didn’t know. I travel as a photographer, I write novels that I swear are better than my personal instagram narratives , and fashion is my favorite off duty hobby. I live life like a rockstar, and every photoshoot is like performing in my favorite city.

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I wanna tell you quick story, about a young girl who lost her father at an early age. Over the years, she could remember him in his scent, in her own little wheeze when she laughed, and the few photos that her family was generous enough to spare for her. As an adult, strewn across her photography studio are small memories and pictures she has of her father. She vowed that when she would offer the option for her clients to keep their memories forever.

That girl is Jasemine Denise and as of December 2018, Jasemine Denise Photography now has print packages, so you can cherish that photographed moment.. Forever.

Official Jasemine Denise Photography Prints Announcement!

In 2019, Jasemine Denise Photography is hosting a boudoir partyand each attendee is going home with a gift box for the special someone. While we have a few spaces left for that, we thought we’d test the emotional impact of giving the git of photographs to the one you love. After all, it is 2018 after all.. The digital age. We had one of our very own sign, wrap, and deliver her gift box to one of her partners.. The impact of that moment was so special that we just knew… 2019, this is something we want to be able to give every single one of our Jasemine Denise Photography family members, old and new.

Just in time for the holidays, you can get prints of all sizes, 8×10, 5×7, canvas, etc. An A La Carte menu will be available starting December 17th, with packages designed for all occasions.

I do wedding photography so wrong. I know you’ve probably seen my shots at weddings and you’re thinking to yourself, “What is this girl talking about?” You may even be thinking, “She shot my wedding!” However, the thing about me and wedding photography is I wanna share so much of the moments I got to witness that I get overwhelmed and share none. People quickly believe that I’m not a wedding photographer or that they can’t book me. So, I decided to start sharing my weddings with you more. Moment by moment. Today, is the first look at the Eaton Wedding in Florida.

First Look // Eaton Wedding // Wedding Photography

In my career, I haven’t gotten to do enough first looks. It’s considered untraditional to see the bride before the wedding but there are some couples who say “to hell with it!” and those are the couples that make wedding photography exciting for me. Tiffany and Jeremy got married at a venue that looked like a ranch on the outside and a mansion on the inside. Her dress was so beautiful that I honestly couldn’t imagine not crying when I laid eyes on it.

Jeremey is calmly standing outside with his glass of moonshine waiting for his bride.

They share a touching moment when she steps out and as you can see emotions are so high that Jeremy is moved to tears. They took turns complimenting each other and honestly… Even I started to tear up and get emotional.

Aren’t they beautiful?

I love wedding photography. I won’t lie, I teared up writing this post. Do you have a wedding coming up? You can book me as your wedding photographer too!

[testimonial]
[testi_pane name=”Tiffany Eaton ” position=”- The Bride” icon=””]Jasemine did a fantastic job. Her second shooter was was also extremely nice. The two of them made my wedding party and I feel comfortable and they were both very patient. I highly recommend them.[/testi_pane][/testimonial]

This photoshoot is extremely important to me. So important to me, I thought I’d never release it.. However, with the losses faced this year, I feel now is as good a time as any to talk about the time I photographed Devon Sahid.

These past two years have been tough for me. Facing things like transitioning, losing relationships, sexual assault, and the worst.. Loss. It was so painful losing Mac Miller on my 27th birthday that I was sure a part of me died. As I’m typing this, I’m a cider and an hour in to hearing that Devin Lima, one of my earliest musical influences died of cancer. Things like this tug at your heart. You feel empty. You want to shake people’s shoulders and talk about loss, but you know no one’s really going to understand how deep it cuts.

I was watching an interview with photographer Christaan Felber, the photographer of the final photos of Mac Miller and it felt that familiar tug. It reminded me of a friend of mine, a loss so tremendous that on the fifth of July when I planned to release the photos, close to the anniversary.. I couldn’t. I remembered the pressure of being the photographer for the first and final photo. With a heavy heart, I finally want to share the photos of Devon Sahid, a loving veteran, an amazing friend, and the most life altering client I’ve ever had.

Devon Sahid

Devon surprised me when I got the booking inquiry, him asking me to photograph him. We weren’t too familiar though we had familiarities. He told me stories of how he could relate to my struggle with coming to terms with polyamory; it wasn’t that he was also polyamorous but that he’d had similar struggles. He was the person who co-mediated arguments with someone who was and is so special to me that nothing seemed more important than our argument and that bottle of tequila beside Devon’s foot. I could never at the time perceive why I was the one he wanted to book a shoot with. The vision for his shoot was written as “AAAAHHH.” With a laugh, knowing that was just Devon.. I agreed.

That was Devon as I could remember. Always joking. Always laughing but for this very photoshoot, he cast aside his stoicism for genuine attentiveness to direction. I mean of course he was silly too, I mean after all he was Devon.

On July 2nd, 2017 (which feels so surreal), I sent him his teaser, as I typically do with my clients. I joked that he looked wholesome and he said “It’s all the photographer. So thank you Jasemine.” Three days later, reality set in and Devon was gone. It crushed the most important person in my life and me, but then suddenly.. There was a high demand for the rest of his photos. I couldn’t do it. These photos, these casual, backyard, photos.. were his last. They’d be used on tribute pages and obituaries and I couldn’t fathom it. Yet, there was no time to process. The amount of requests that came through were overwhelming. As I stared into his eyes, I had to come to terms with my grief.. Every joke he’d ever told, the time he drove us to Roadhouse 66 and we made up funny scenarios.. The generosity, the stories.. all of it gone.. and these pictures were immortalizing it. They were no longer mine and Devon’s… They were everyone’s and as much as I clutched to this digital moments, I had to give them away.

Photographing Devon and processing my grief through processing his photos, brought about a painful feeling for me. That if my father had lived on beyond his time, and had grown with me.. Had he passed in the present time, it’d be a similar situation. I’d be editing his final photos and I broke down countless times. For Devon, for my father, for Chester Bennington and my friend Camille who passed not too long after Devon. Life seemed to travel on, the wallposts seemed to stack but I was trapped in the greenery and the blues of the wall he stood so patiently at while I raced around him shooting different angles.

Getting to the end of all those photos destroyed me because it meant that that was the end. The intimate moments I spent crying in my lab, asking why, speaking out loud to Devon about how we were left with him in memory were having to come to a close and reality would have to be faced. When I finally pressed the last little white flag, I laid in my bed. I cried. Over the time it took, I’d lost two more great people and a piece of myself I could never get back. Shockingly enough, I found sleep. I found relief.. I found that somewhere, somehow an angel recognized the pain and let me release the pain of so much loss.

Devon’s passing and the honor he gave me to photograph him in his final days gave me the first genuine experience of processing grief I’d ever had. My father had been gone for over 18 years and it took me so long to process that. I still am. I’m grateful for my father, I’m grateful for Devon, I’m grateful for Mac Miller, and I’m grateful to have learned what it means to accept loss and to remember greatness.

To Devon, I still write you on Facebook occasionally. I still pray you watch over Ray, Anthony, Ernest, Tim, and everyone else. When we meet again, I’ll hug you and tell you how incredibly difficult but honorable it was being able to capture you at your rawest.. Completely willing to let someone else confine your beauty into compressed megabytes that would live on forever even after we had to face the loss of you, who are amazing. Thank you for the time you gave to us. I think of you everyday.

To all who have lost someone, I sympathize. & To any photographer who has taken the last professional photo of anyone, I understand. It took me an entire year to finally find the words…

ClaustroClothic # : Bratty Attitude

What inspired this look?

I’ve been trying to take back the power in pink!

When I was little, I hated pink. Not the singer, she’s actually one of my favorites ever. The color itself on the other hand, was one of my least. Pink was synonymous with Princesses and Damsels and I never aspired to be that.

So, over the past few years, specifically ever since I started a fashion blog which became an entire section of my Tumblr,.. I’ve been trying to take back the power in pink. I knew I wanted to keep all the elements of my punk style just with some pure pink greatness.

How did I put it together?

From there, it was finding the look. Since it’s getting cold in the city, I wanted something to protect my natural hair. Weave N Luxury is my go-to for wigs. They last forever if you haven’t noticed by my red and black wig. I told her that I wanted something pink. Didn’t actually specify what I wanted.

When she brought me the wig, I was in love. I knew instantly that it matched one of my favorite punk crop jackets I’ve made to date.

Let’s Talk Accessories.

I can’t remember the last time I haven’t styled a harness into my looks. When SKG released that new Vegan Collection, with the option of pink vegan leather, I knew it was over for me.

The Lydia Collar is one of my go tos, I have it in multiple colors. It’s subtle, it’s spiked, and it’s comfortable. The thing I love most about vegan leather collars is that when I sweat, they don’t feel weird on my body. Perfect for the summer or shows where it’s just a little too cramped.

The Aurora full body Harness is a new one for me. I don’t own too many full body elastic harnesses. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with them. I’ve seen them look amazing on everybody. I ordered mine custom colored from

The Aurora full body harness

The Lydia up close.

Finally, the shoes. Oh the shoes.. I’m a huge fan of unique shoes. One of my absolute favorite brands ever is Iron Fist. I love them so much in fact that I did an entire look based off of them. These particular ones were an Ebay find and of course I had to have them because they were pink! They fit the look perfectly.

Stay Tuned!

There’s another pink look coming soon. You get more of the vegan collection of SKG in it too. In the meantime, make sure you follow me on Instagram to see my daily looks! As it gets colder outside, hopefully I’m gonna be showing you some warmer looks. I mean after all, there’s an entire fashion blog section of this website, right?

Every year Gabbie and Raymond have a fall photoshoot and every year I fall more and more in love with my friends. This year is just a tad bit different because they’re married now!

Gabbie and Raymond // Fall Photoshoot

The beauty of a fall photoshoot is that the leaves start changing and every single moment just looks like it was created to be cinematic. While Gabbie and Raymond got married back in July, they always have a fall photoshoot and it’s always adorable.

Aren’t they seriously beautiful?

Do you want your own fall photoshoot? You don’t have to bring your husband. It can be just you, your family, your dog, whatever! All you have to do is fill out a booking form and tell me what day you want to shoot! My next travel cities are Philly and New York! You can also pledge to our Patreon to score a raffle ticket for a free session!

Happy Halloween Kings and Queens. Every year we have a halloween photoshoot boudoir and there’s always an outstanding modeling job by a model that ends up making me wanna cry. Last year, we had Kalika’s Scream, the year before, Gabbie killed her now husband Raymond.. This year, Cosplay Sass and their partner Angelo are…

I love this Bride of Frankenstein photoshoot so much because Cosplay Sass painted both themselves and their partner and it just looks beautiful!

The Groom:

The Bride:

Oh! Better close the door, the honeymoon is about to begin!

If you head on over to Patreon, there’s a super special version of this that is not necessarily safe for work waiting for you. We had to make a tremendously creative makeshift bride of Frankenstein lingerie for them, made completely out of medical gauze.. There’s some behind the scenes too. You don’t wanna miss that!

Okay, remember that scene in Spiderman where James Jameson fired and unfired Peter Parker because he needed more pictures of Spiderman? I’m talking about the moment where Tobey Maguire goes “Can you pay me in advance?” and gets the loudest cackle in response? That was the most inspiring scene I’ve ever seen in my life. After my first cosplay photoshoot with Kali back in 2014, I made it my mission to shoot a Spiderman photoshoot that wasn’t Spiderman, but was more that scene where Peter Parker had to be the biggest Instagram selfie model in history to get paid. I recently got my dream come true when Robbie stepped onto my balcony, wearing his Spiderman onesie.

Spiderman Photoshoot// Robbie

Okay but picture this: There’s a Spiderman Photoshoot going on above you and you think it’s a hoax but it’s really Spider-Man, he’s just in his PJs.

Duty Calls! Happy Halloween Month by the way!

Stay tuned because there are so many different costume looks coming your way. All month there will be mountains of amazing behind the scenes, costumes and more.

This male model shoot is a part of the mini sessions hosted at Jasemine Denise Photography. Each month, we give away a free mini session to people who want to get their feet wet in getting photos taken without modeling. To enter, all you have to do is pledge $5 or more to our Patreon.. You’ll also get free prints!

Meet Robbie // Chicago Male Model |
Mini Session Monday

I first met Robbie five years ago at a birthday party. We both laughed about the circumstances of how we met exactly, but I knew in that moment that he.. He was a male model in the making. Coincidentally, I’ve met a few of my models that way. Seeing the potential in them before they could really see it in themselves but hanging back until they found themselves.

Robbie is no ordinary male model. He’s my favorite kind. The type of man who wears his interests on his sleeve. It’s no secret that I’m into fashion and fingerling collectively. His fan moments are subtly intertwined in his shoots (in this one, if you look closely enough, he’s wearing a Flash button down) but his slay face… That’s strong.

Robbie normally has curly hair, framing his jawline and features but this particular session, we had Rayshone, the owner and creator behind Weave N Luxury here and she gave him a mini hair makeover. He fell in love and honestly, we did too.

Are you crazy about Robbie yet?

Don’t worry, next time he’ll be back on the same rooftop but as Spiderman. While you’re waiting you can follow him on Instagram to watch his journey as a male model evolve! He’s also not the only male model we picked up this year. Subscribe to the blog and keep your eyes peeled for more sessions.

I read a t-shirt once that I’ve wanted for years.. It says Good Girls Go To Heaven, bad girls get backstage. If you ever met me, you know I’m no stickler for the rules. However, I’ve only ever been arrested once, never snuck out as a kid, and for the most part got along pretty well with my teachers. So, I guess in some ways.. Depending on the societal definition, I can be a “good girl.” In terms of alternative fashion, I’m always trying to break the rules. Who said good girls can’t do bad things?

This post is a part of the pink archives, and contains “sponsor links”, which are really just links for you to go and purchase things I’m wearing.

ClaustroClothic #23: Good Girls // Alternative Fashion

What Inspired This Outfit?

It’s no secret that this past year, I’ve been focused on bringing my colors to my closet. However, there are certain elements of fashion I’ve been nervous to wear over the years. Examples: pink, jeans, and graphic tees. Outside of band tees, I’ve never been a t-shirt type of girl. Too plain.

Yet this year, I’ve been trying to do simple looks as well as intricate ones. Letting the fashion speak for itself, through means of coordination.

How it felt when I first put it on.

I felt like a street fashion blogger. The ones that you see standing in Times Square just slaying our lives like it’s their professional job..

What was the best part of this outfit?

Every bit of it coordinates all the way down to my phone case. The aesthetic was literally pastel pink and black, with a dash of punk. Alternative fashion to me has always been about going out of the norm, even if it just mean tip toeing out of the norm a bit.

Wanna see more of my looks?

I’m gonna be slaying hella looks this autumn. It’s one of my favorite seasons and I’ve got a lot to share. Follow me on Instagram to see my daily looks, and subscribe to the blog to see more outfits in your email the moment they drop! Until next time, stay good. Or bad. Whatever suits your fancy babe.

By the time you read this, this engagement photoshoot will be the beginning blossom of a beautiful marriage between TJ and Ymani. It’s no surprise that I love engagement photoshoot sessions. Love is one of my favorite loves. I’m pretty sure, this session will forever be one of my favorites too.

Chicago Engagement Photoshoot // Ymani and TJ.

I say it all the time. There’s only one thing I love more than photographing people… That’s photographing people in love. There’s something about that starting moment when they’re nervous.. They need posing, and you put a little pressure on them by saying “I don’t know! What do you think?” They make eye contact and either they look back at you nervously or they start laughing. Let me let you in on a little secret, that’s how us photographers break the ice.

Ymani and TJ.. they nailed that. That initial eye contact broke all facade of nervousness and brought forth the Street Fighter competition jokes immediately. I mean, if you’re not asking your fiance who their main is.. Are you even really gaming?

You know what I can’t get enough of during an engagement photoshoot? When the couple can’t get enough of each other.

The Sun started setting on our engagement photoshoot, but that didn’t stop the beauty that poured out of these two..

Did you fall in love a little yourself? Don’t worry, me too!

Jasemine Denise Photography books both weddings and engagement photography sessions. Do you need an engagement photoshoot? You still have time! Head on over to Jasemine Denise Photoraphy and book a session!You can also pledge to our Patreon to score a raffle ticket for a free session.

I even did Ymani’s NOLA themed Bridal Shower! It was beautiful. A happy Congratulations to such a gorgeous couple on their wedding day.

About Me

Jasemine Denise

I travel as a photographer, I write novels , and I fan girl a lot. I have an unnecessary attachment to all things 80s punk, 90s hip hop, and girl power. You'll find some Fashion, photography and many more on this blog.
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